Westmont OKs Mariano's plan, Potbelly's sign

Westmont trustees have signed off on a final plat plan that consolidates two lots into one for a Mariano's grocery store.

The store will be constructed on a vacant lot near 63rd Street and Cass Avenue.

"The project is moving forward," Westmont Village Planner Jill Ziegler said. "The timeline (for the project) has not changed at this point."

Construction of the new grocery store is expected to begin in 2015, with the store opening up the following year.

Westmont officials signed off on a $3 million incentive deal in 2013 with Bradford Real Estate of Chicago, which plans to build the 71,300-square-foot grocery store on the 9.5 acre wooded lot. The real estate company will also receive 50 percent of sales taxes generated from the new store.

The incentives will help with site preparation, including construction of an underground water detention area, road signalization and wetland mitigation costs, according to village officials. The total project will cost the company about $20 million.

In other business moves, the Village Board also approved a sign variance for a new Potbelly sandwich shop. Documents indicate that the shop will be located in a new 8,370-square-foot strip mall building at 19 W. Ogden Ave.

Construction of the strip mall will begin soon, according to Ziegler, and will also include a Connie's Pizza restaurant. The vacant Connie's Pizza building at the site will be razed to make way for the strip mall, which will have two other storefronts.

Trustee James Addington told the board that he is glad that work will be getting underway.

"If I get one question a day (as trustee), it's 'What is happening with the Connie's building?'" he said. "Now we can tell people that it's moving forward."

The board also approved a new art store in a downtown storefront building at 134 N. Cass Ave. Heather Kostal, whose husband owns Uncle Jon's music store at 33 N. Cass Ave., plans to open No Corner Suns art store, which will sell homemade gifts and art supplies as well as offer art classes for children and adults.